


Elysium

by LilahLuck



Category: Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Multi, Space Opera, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:47:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23823325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilahLuck/pseuds/LilahLuck
Summary: Frank had left his old life behind. Left Gee and all his friends for one woman and a new law abiding start...but Gee isn't about to take no for an answer.





	1. Hangover

Bliss shifted slightly in her sleep, the beginnings of a hangover causing her brow to crease as she tried to get comfortable. It was proving impossible, everything seemed too hard under her tender head and she turned, hands scrabbling around to find either the pillow, the duvet or Frank. She found nothing but a pile of what felt like sacks, blearily opening her eyes and looking down.   
It was her coat.   
There was also no bed beneath her, just a hard wooden bench. Bliss started to feel a little sick as she sat up and took a proper look around. This looked horribly like a jail cell, a heavy door in front had a tiny barred window and there was no other furniture in the room apart from a bucket in the corner. She started to shiver, the similarly small window set high up in the concrete wall was open apart from more bars and she could hear vaguely the wind and the distant noise of the city.   
Memories of the night were starting to come back. A birthday party for a work colleague that had begun in one of the better bars on Mimas and just deteriorated from there. She had drunk far more than usual, prompted more by a fight with Frank than a desire to have fun and after three stops she could remember very little. The desire to puke was rising, whatever had happened after that must have got really messy and the thought of actually being in jail was terrifying.   
Mimas belonged to the Federation and dissention was not tolerated, even minor offenses could mean a term on some far away prison planet and Bliss had never been in trouble in her life. Not a fine, not a parking ticket and now it looked like….well fuck, she wished she knew what it looked like. One thing was certain, her bag was gone so there was no chance of ringing Frank or her friends and her family were far away, settlers on some outer world who probably didn’t even remember what she looked like. Bliss pushed her hair back, the wild red colour now seeming a little out of place as she tugged her dress back down and looked for her shoes. They seemed to be missing too and she started to shiver, wrapping her coat around herself and hoping that she would wake up in bed next to Frank and this would all be a dream.   
He was probably frantic by now, her lover was a wild man at times but always scrupulously careful to remain within the law. He ran a music shop in the heart of the Mimas colony, Bliss worked in the bank nearby and they had a small but comfortable apartment in one of the blocks under the city dome. It wasn’t high living but it was good and safe. They had heard about those who resisted and watched the nightly news about all the planets and territories in the Federation, kept safe but marshalled by an iron fist. You were wise to keep you head down and now Bliss wondered if that cosy life was about to be shattered.   
She jumped as the door opened and a large man entered the room, motioning to her to stand up. He was dressed in the black uniform of Federation Control, the visor pulled down over a lined and hawkish face that made Bliss tremble even more than the cold. She did as bid and the man took her arm in a firm grasp and marched them both into the corridor. She couldn’t speak, seeing now that this clearly was a prison with row upon row of cells like her own stretching around a great octagon building. There seemed to be at least twenty floors above and ten below and now fear really did begin to grip her. They joined a queue of officers and prisoners that stretched up in front to three huge desks. What appeared to be judges sat behind, hearing the officers speak and then pointing in one direction or another as the unfortunates in front were lead of in other directions. It was loud and hectic, Bliss found herself staring at the people in front of her and around. Some were well dressed, some were bums, some looked worried, others seemed terrified like herself. As each stepped up a clerk scanned the identity chip that everyone had implanted in their hip at birth, a record of name, place and date of birth, blood type and anything else that the Federation considered important. Bliss swallowed and tried to remain calm. They would see that this was all a mistake surely.  
“Where’s your chip ?”   
“I……lost it.”   
Bliss frowned, her attention now on the young woman right in front of her who was smiling cheekily at the clerk. She was no taller than Bliss’s five foot three and dressed in black, her jeans and jacket marked with patches and badges that Bliss didn’t recognise. She was dark haired and didn’t seem afraid, merely bored as the clerk gaped.  
“You can’t lose your chip, its grafted into the bone.”  
The woman shrugged and gave him the finger, earning a hard smack around the head from the huge guard holding her as the line of people moved again and they both got closer to the judge. The girl looked over her shoulder and winked at Bliss, her hands were cuffed in front of her whereas Bliss’s were not but she hooked her thumb into the waist of her jeans and pulled them so that Bliss could see a nasty looking scar. Obviously the chip had been cut out, a terrible and treasonous crime in the Federation alone. Bliss blushed and dropped her head a little as they finally reached the head of the queue and the woman judge peered down at the other woman as if examining a particularly nasty insect.  
“I thought you were dead.”  
“I kinda hoped you were too…disappointing huh ?”  
The guard slapped the woman harder and the judge seemed to grow in height as she raised a piece of paper and began to read. Bliss glanced at the guard holding her and hoped he wouldn’t do the same if she said something wrong. Her head pounded and she badly wanted to either sit down or throw up.  
“Pixie….whoever named you was clearly insane. Charged this time with attempting to steal the takings of the Mimas casino. Outstanding charges of murder, piracy, grievous bodily harm, extortion, gun running, drug smuggling and chip removal. How do you plead ?”  
Pixie shifted a little, considering things before looking up at the judge.  
“Not guilty. That casino is more crooked than you and I was merely retrieving the money stolen from me. The other stuff….well fuck knows, I would need specifics.”  
The judge glared and banged the gavel causing Bliss to jump. It was becoming obvious that she really was in some deep trouble and there was no sign of a lawyer to help or anyone who could help her or even tell her the charges. She glanced again at Pixie, noting that the smile hadn’t moved and neither had the apparent unconcern.  
“Put her on the barge to Sepulchre Nine. Go cool your heels till the trial kid.”  
Pixie managed a reasonably obscene finger gesture as the huge guard dragged her away towards the cells again and Bliss stepped up nervously to face the judge. It was strange being under the piercing glare and she didn’t know whether to smile or look serious so merely continued to look frightened as the judge looked back down at the monitor in front of her.  
“Bliss….first timer, no priors. Charged with being drunk and disorderly and striking a Federation Control officer. How do you plead ?”  
Bliss gaped, searching her memory for anything that approached hitting someone. She could remember singing loudly and now was recalling being thrown out of the last bar but nothing else. The judge waited patiently, this often happened when people unused to the strong brews of the Lower Town bars had a little too much to drink.  
“I….ummm….not guilty ? Do I get a phone call ? Or a lawyer ?”  
“When you get to Sepulchre Nine you will get a phone call. You will be assigned a lawyer when your trial comes around. NEXT !!”  
The gavel banged down and Bliss found herself steered away towards the cells again. She felt numb and wanted badly to ask questions but the man was clearly not going to answer. They left the crowded hallways and walked further and further in and down two flights of stairs. Bliss was in too much shock to protest and it was only when another cell door banged shut behind her that she realised this was actually happening. Hot tears stung as she leant her head against the cold metal and closed her eyes.  
“First time ?”  
Bliss jumped at the soft voice and now realised she was not alone. Pixie was sitting on one of the cell’s two bunks, her back against the wall as she looked at the girl. The pretty blue dress was clearly expensive and she was rather pretty, the deep red hair contrasting with serious azure eyes that were now a little wet. Pixie smiled a little more kindly, the cuffs now gone as she pointed to the other bunk.  
“Sit down before you fall down, we have a while here before the transport gets in. I’m Pixie.”  
Bliss shook the outstretched hand and sat down, it was now becoming surreal to be stuck in a cell with someone who was quite clearly a criminal. The other woman was wiry and looked strong, another scar snaking across her throat and one that reached from under her hair to end up at the corner of her left eye. Pixie watched her reactions carefully.  
“Bliss….how long until there is a transport to this sepulchre place ? I need to get word to my boyfriend, he’ll be worried sick by now.”  
“Transport will get here in a week or so. The trip to Nine takes about a month. A trial could be anything up to two years. What are you charged with ?”  
Bliss started to shake, this was ridiculous. They had to give her a phonecall before this and a lawyer or something. Pixie watched the emotions cross her face, it was always interesting to see someone who hadn’t experienced the darker side of the Federation realise they were now pretty much screwed.  
“Drunk and disorderly, apparently I hit a Control officer.”  
Pixie winced, Bliss now really frightened by the reaction as the other woman plumped one of the basically non existent pillows and laid back on the bed. Her booted feet wiggled as she tried to get comfortable and failed. Annoyance was starting to grate at her own stupidity and the possible risks of what she knew would more than likely happen next if she didn’t get this right. She had managed to avoid prison for a long time now and should have kept it that way.  
“You’re looking at five to ten on a prison colony for that.”  
“Months ?”  
Pixie laughed, her face turning towards the frightened girl.  
“Years.”  
Bliss felt the room swirl for a moment before blacking out, it was too much to take. One mistake and now everything seemed to be lost. She came around to find herself on the bed, both of the pillows under her head and Pixie dripping water from their meagre ration onto a rag so that she could lay it on her forehead. Bliss smiled a little, a small kindness but something to hold on to. The other woman smiled back warmly, there was something about the girl that Pixie liked and now a plan was forming.  
“You ok ?”  
“Five years….I don’t even remember the fucking night.”  
Pixie giggled and helped Bliss to sit up. They shared a moment of silence before Bliss remembered the list of offences that Pixie had been charged with and stared at her with a clear dread on her face. Pixie merely smiled, knowing what the girl was thinking and waiting for her to ask the question.  
“If I’m looking at five years…what about you ? Is any of that stuff true ?”  
The other woman leant back against the wall, the past running through her head as she thought of a time back when she had been innocent like Bliss. That had been destroyed pretty early and Pixie had never spent any time looking back, soon finding her way into space and the vacuum of infinite possibilities it had offered.  
“Most of it is true. I run with a crew of smugglers and we don’t exactly obey laws. Any trial either of us get will last five minutes and then you’re looking at jail and I’m looking at a firing squad.”  
“I’m….sorry.”  
Bliss genuinely didn’t know what to say either to the comment or the fact that Pixie still seemed completely unconcerned. She didn’t look like she could kill anyone and yet Bliss had to admit that she wasn’t sure what a smuggler looked like. Pixie climbed up on the bed and tried to get a view out of the window to see where they were exactly.  
“Don’t worry about it. I can guarantee one thing. We sure as hell aren’t getting on that boat to Nine. Fancy breaking out with me ?”


	2. Escape and Chips

During the course of the next few days Bliss began to accept that this was happening.  
She was bound for a prison planet and a trial, the only person now seeming to want to help her was Pixie. It was just the insane plan of trying to break out that was the issue. Her new friend was managing to keep her safe at least, Bliss had seen more than one first timer come down to the huge mess for breakfast covered in bruises and missing clothes and valuables. That hadn’t happened to her and she was sure that Pixie had come by the new clothes she had found Bliss in that way.  
“People are scared of you.”  
Pixie looked up from her coffee, her expression a little surprised as she considered Bliss’s words.  
“I have a reputation but it’s not me they’re scared of.”  
“No ?”  
Pixie checked across to the huge woman who was sitting on the next table over. The shuttle would arrive in 36 hours so the plan needed to roll into motion. The first part of which would be to get the chip out of Bliss and both of them near enough to the prison emergency exit system to attempt a breakout. The only idea she had so far was not exactly a masterpiece but it might just work.  
“They are afraid of my friends. All of them know what happens if you cross Captain Way and the crew of The Liberator.”  
Bliss opened her mouth to ask more but was interrupted by Pixie picking up a plate and smashing it over the head of the huge woman on the next table over. Bliss was forced to dive out of the way and onto the floor as a fight broke out which seemed to not be going Pixie’s way when two of the guards dove in to break it up. More fists and blood seemed to fly although Bliss noticed that Pixie was careful not to hit the guards, contenting herself with crawling away with a newly forming black eye and a nasty cut under her hair that dripped blood down her face.   
One guard picked her up and steered her out as the others descended on the other woman who was now screaming and lashing out at anything and everyone. Chaos reigned and Bliss decided that it would be safer to head back to her cell, gathering up the remaining food and soft drinks under her jacket. She was already picking up the barter system that seemed to rule in the prison and the food would come in handy.  
A nervous hour passed until the cell door opened and Pixie wondered in, hands deep in her pockets and with a fresh line of stitches dotting her temple. She waited until the door was locked again and the guards footsteps had retreated before pulling out several packages and laying them on the bed. A nasty sick feeling started to come through Bliss’s mind and she began to shake her head as Pixie revealed a scalpel and a capped needle along with bandages and tape.  
“Whatever you’re thinking, no!”  
“That chip is coming out, now take the jeans off. I got the shit kicked out of me to get this stuff, fucking woman knew how to land a punch.”  
Bliss gaped but noted that the expression Pixie now wore would brook no argument. She had been listening to the gossip amongst the inmates after the fights and more than one had mentioned the word psycho. She inched her jeans off and laid on the bed as instructed. Pixie uncapped the needle and didn’t hesitate, the frightened woman nearly biting through her lip as it punctured the skin.  
“Anaesthetic, you won’t feel it too bad until after but I have painkillers for that.”  
Pixie waited ten minutes and tried to remember how Gates had gone about removing the chip from Arin when they had picked the kid up from Titan. Even thinking of her lover made a grin cross her face as she remembered the devilish smile and the sarcastic commentary he had kept up all the way through. She angled the blade and looked at a very ashen Bliss, clearly a similar tactic would be needed or her friend would pass out.  
“Don’t look. Now tell me about Frank, what’s he like ?”  
Bliss bit her lip, the anticipated pain wasn’t there but she could feel Pixie poking around with the knife and really didn’t want to look. She closed her eyes, his face swimming into view as she tried to remember every detail of him and their apartment. It felt like a world away and the crushing feeling of missing him made her voice quiver a little.  
“He’s a handsome guy, everyone take the piss because he’s pretty short but he’s got a temper. Lots of tattoos, he used to have a lip ring. He’s dark haired at the moment but he dyes it a lot…”  
Pixie angled the knife again and wiped away the blood so she could see the chip where it was clinging to the bone. She managed to get the tip of the scalpel under one side and wiggled it a little.  
“Go on.”  
“People trust Frank, he’s a good person. He always does what he says and we were so happy. Now I don’t know if I will ever see him again.”  
Pixie prised the last of the tiny legs free and transferred the chip onto a piece of cloth. She needed it to keep working until they were ready to ditch and run. She reached for the needle and the thread. Bliss continued to stare at the ceiling, now able to feel a little sting as Pixie started stitching the gash shut, her words somehow comforting.  
“You will. You might look a little different and you probably won’t want to go back to the day job but we can get to anyone anywhere.”  
Pixie bit of the thread and slapped a dressing on the wound, handing Bliss another syringe as she bundled up the bloodied items and stashed them under the bed. Bliss carefully stood and pulled her jeans back up before injecting the powerful painkiller into her arm. The small package Pixie handed her made her feel a little lightheaded, the other woman steadying her.  
“Put it in your pocket, it will keep functioning until we get down to the emergency exit. We will ditch the thing as we leave and then you’re free.”  
“And wanted by everyone in the Federation.”  
Pixie grinned, the black eye making Bliss a little fuzzy. She checked the position of the twin moons outside and estimated that they had a chance. Bliss gingerly tried walking, so far the pain was manageable and she gathered up the few supplies into her jacket as Pixie selected the still bloodstained scalpel and went towards the door.  
“Prisoners step back.”  
Both women froze, Pixie quickly concealing the blade up her sleeve as both of them stepped towards the back of the cell, arms behind their backs. Bliss was now terrified that they had been found out and even Pixie was a little concerned. A cell search was not good, the transport arriving early was even worse. They held their breath as the heavy footsteps behind them stopped and the cell door banged shut again. Pixie gritted her teeth as gloved hands patted her down, it never failed to bother her that these men could touch her and not get their hands snapped off. Bliss hoped they wouldn’t check her pockets but the snap of heavy handcuffs around her wrists made that hope pale into the background.  
The two guards were tall and well built, towering over the two women as they steered them out of the cell and down the corridors. Bliss was numb, obviously the small hope of freedom was now gone despite the determined look on Pixie’s face. They walked with purpose past the other prisoners and guards down a long set of corridors. Pixie knew they were headed to the shuttle and calculated whether she could take both men before dismissing it. Even loose and with a weapon it wouldn’t have been a fair fight and again she cursed her own stupidity.  
The prison had its own port into the vastness of space, the deep beyond was guarded by several large space stations where most of the trade and business of the planets was done. Coming down to the surface was rare on some planets, more usual on Mimas that used the trade from the various freighter and military crews. These docking points needed strict control and most of that was done from far up above. Once you were out there it was hard to get planet-side without the proper paperwork. Now endless visas were stamped and traded as the two prisoners stared out at the small shuttle that would lead to the prison ship beyond, one with a little awe, the other pissed off and desperate to avoid the ship.  
“Where are these two going ?”  
“Sepulchre Nine. I hear there are a lot of people keen to see this one.”  
Pixie dropped her head, it was useless to bait the guards and a shuttle might actually work in her favour. The other girl just stared, she had never left Mimas before and had never wanted to. It felt like she was getting further and further away from home with every step and yet the blackness beyond was somehow exquisite and beautiful. She tried to keep it in view as they were marched onto the shuttle and unceremoniously handcuffed to the seats. The two guards conferred briefly and then spoke to the pilot as the single engine roared into life. Bliss stared out of the small window as the shuttle began to move out on its own.  
“Mimas Prison to Sepulchre Nine, routine flight using Prison ship 998.”  
Another voice came over the tannoy was the prison confirmed their departure into space. There was an almost eerie silence while the artificial gravity kicked in and the bright lights of the port faded behind them, Bliss found the pressure in her head a little painful and was surprised when the taller of the guards popped a piece of chewing gum into her mouth. Pixie frowned, more used to space travel and now noticing that these two guards looked a little familiar in size and bulk. Hope started to bloom but she kept the smile down until the prison port signed them off and the shuttle picked up speed.  
“I swear to fucking god woman, if I have to rescue your ass one more time…”  
The shorter guard pulled off his helmet and shook out a tousled shock of black hair, his eyes alight with amusement as Pixie smirked back at him. The other guard did the same, fixing a confused Bliss with a sweet smile, his blue eyes shining as he stretched out and banged on the cabin door.  
“We got em Shads.”  
Pixie started to giggle as the handcuffs were removed and Syn claimed a kiss from his erstwhile lover. He found the fact she was bruised and fucked up more of a turn on than he wanted to admit and broke free to release her friend as Jimmy introduced himself to Bliss and Pixie bounced to the window to see if she could see their ship.  
“You must be Bliss, I’m Jimmy and that’s Syn. We fly with Pixie and we heard you needed picking up.”  
Bliss was still in some shock, made worse by the fact that Pixie was now sitting in Syn’s lap kissing him with something approaching porn touching. It was all happening too fast, what had seemed a hopeless flight to prison had somehow turned into a rescue and she was confused. The tall man smiled again, he was used to putting up with the two fighter pilots when they had been parted.  
“Where are we going ?”  
“To the Liberator and then the captain can decide where we go next. Got some cargo needs to go out to the Mirax Nebula I believe.”  
Bliss shook her head as Pixie finally managed to slap Syn down to the point he was only kissing her neck. She could see the bulk of the ship hidden in between some freighters and let it sink in that by some miracle her ass had been saved again. She could see Bliss was getting lost and pointed out of the window.  
“That’s the Liberator. Class five Viper convoy ship. She carries two independent fighters and can take any cargo anywhere in any of the nine systems. Current crew of nine, can carry anything up to twelve. We should get out of this system for a while and then we can get a message to Frank.”  
The girl continued to stare as they slipped into the dark.


	3. The Liberator

Bliss continued to look at the massive ship. It was like nothing she had ever seen and the fear was being replaced by something approaching excitement. While it would have been better to have never gone to jail in the first place she now had the chance to see something that so few got to see, planets stretching out in front of her.  
Gates smirked at the girl, she was pretty and he reckoned just Zacky’s type. His best buddy needed to get laid and there was always room for extra help on board. The captain had been adamant about this whole thing, while he was forever pissed at Pixie taking risks he knew his crew was the best and there had never been any doubts about leaving her behind given the time and trouble required for his plan. He stared appreciatively at the girl’s asses before tapping Pixie on the shoulder.  
“The Cap is fucking pissed at you, how much money did you make.”  
“Gerard is always pissed at me except when we’re both in his bed. Three quarters of a million, its in the usual account if we can get Ray to hack a way in.”  
Matt poked his head around the corner, nodding to the newcomer and fixing Pixie with a stare. He loved the kid but damn they had taken some risks to do this and the new cargo was volatile. They didn’t really have time to piss around.  
“Take a seat guys, Johnny is letting me drive as he’s crunching something that used to be the gears after a bottle of vodka so you may want to belt up while I get the hang of it.”  
There was a reflective shudder through the small craft as it altered course towards the huge ship and Bliss quickly fastened her seatbelt, handing the small chip from her pocket to Pixie who swiftly sent it out of the airlock.  
“Relax sweetie, you’re gonna love the rest of the crew.”  
She turned back towards Syn.  
“So on a scale of one to I’m dead, how pissed is he ?”  
“You’re dead. We’re late cos of you and you know he hates being late.”  
Pixie winced, Bliss trying to get a grip on the conversation and still take in the scale of the ship around them. They had docked quickly and Pixie had pointed out the two small fighter escorts attached to the sides of the ship. They were her and Syn’s toys for when the huge freighter needed air cover, its own weaponry being defensive. Bliss was now sandwiched between Matt, a tall well built guy who’s general air of intimidation was only broken by his dimpled smile and Johnny, the hyper puppy with the Mohawk as Syn put it.  
The walk had taken them past the huge cargo bays which were fully loaded with crates and sealed bins, further on and up into another part of the ship where they had introduced her to a young guy with a mop of dark curls. Arin had been too shy to say much, still aware that Syn was looking at him with predatory eyes. He was new to the crew, helping Ray was his main job and learning the skills of all the technology that ran the ship. They had left him to a mass of circuit boards and kept on climbing.  
“Hey, I was doing this for him. I delivered too.”  
Syn grinned, hugging Pixie tightly and winking at Bliss as they bid Matt and Johnny farewell. The two men maintained the ship, experienced engineers were a valuable commodity and the Liberator had the two best in the business. Matt liked the girl, she was naturally terrified but he had listened to what Syn said the Captain had in mind and it would work out well. They had been short crewed for too long and if this came off it would mean the ship could finally be used to its full potential and they would all get very rich very quickly.  
Pixie enjoyed the feeling of Syn kissing down her neck as they finally made it to the bridge. She just couldn’t help but smile, everything was right where she had left it. Mikey was standing behind the Captain’s chair, his face serious to match the current short black hair. Zacky was cleaning a pistol while seated at the navigators chair, his face lighting up at seeing them. Ray was plotting course, his fro bobbing as he punched at various screens and buttons. In the middle of it all was the Captain, his usual black clad frame topped by a shock of white blond hair. His face was serious, the barked instructions down to Matt only ceasing as they all felt the massive ship begin to move. Pixie kept back behind Syn, only poking her head around enough to check that everyone was present and correct.  
“Pixie my love, come here.”  
Bliss shifted uncomfortably, there was something unnerving about the Captain even though when he turned she was presented with a truly beautiful man. His hazel eyes were sharp, the cheekbones made him almost pretty and she could see the resemblance to the other taller man next to him. Pixie painted on a smile and trotted up to the Captain, her face wary but still delighted at seeing him.  
“Hi Gee, I made it just like I said I would.”  
One hand shot out and buried itself in her hair, dragging Pixie down until she was kneeling next to his chair and now Gerard did smile. Bliss was surprised that Gates seemed nothing but amused, pushing her forward too. The massive deck of the ship gave them a full 360 degree view of the cosmos now moving in front of them as the ship picked up speed and headed them out into deep space and away from her recent captivity. She dragged her eyes away and back to where her friend was now held in a vice like grip.  
“I said you had two days and its been four. Even then I had to send the boys to get you.”  
“A prison break is complicated, I got her and the bloody money so quit bitching.”  
Pixie squeaked in pain as his grip tightened further, cursing herself for never being able to keep her mouth shut at the right time. Gerard smile widened, a little cruelty appearing as he shook the woman a little harder and then turned to look up at Bliss. Now finding that all of them were staring at her made the nervous girl take a step back only to find Syn right behind her.  
“Ah yes…..you.”  
Bliss gaped, the implication of Pixie’s words now hitting her as Gerard motioned for Zacky. Jimmy took up his normal position at the navigation controls and patted his friend on the shoulder. The girl found herself staring at a man so like Frank it was quite unnerving although there were two metal rings in his lower lip rather than one and this man was taller. He smiled at her, the nervous look on her face was somehow endearing and he had decided to take the kid under his wing. Being a plaything of his boss was not for everyone.  
“What about me and what do you mean got me ?”  
Pixie shrugged, an expression of apology on her face as Mikey stepped forward. The younger Way brother was sensual and attractive but his eyes were equally as cold as he pulled a photograph from his pocket and passed it to her. It was of a group of men, one of which she knew intimately and three of the others were now standing in front of her. Gerard watched the recognition pass over her face as he spoke.  
“We took you because Frank is stubborn. He insists on letting one small fight get in the way of where he belongs. Getting to you was easy and now he will pay attention. By the time we get back from this trip he will be ready to negotiate.”  
“But….but Frank has never been in trouble in his life! He’s not a pirate…or whatever the hell you are!”  
Bliss was reeling, the picture still in her hand. It was definitely Frank, hugged between the brothers with Ray on the other side. They were all smiling and laughing and now she could see Pixie sitting behind at a table pouring drinks. Frank looked younger, his smile boyish and carefree but she would know him anywhere. Which meant he had lied to her.  
“Frank was my lover since we were kids. We had a tiff, a stupid thing really. That was three years ago. He decided to give it all up and go straight. Right after he met you.”  
Gerard considered how tactful to be. He had sent Pixie down to Mimas for one purpose and that was to get the girl, the run on the casino had merely been to make sure that they ended up in the same place. He wanted his Frankie, Mikey wanted Frankie and this girl would soon learn to share and perhaps enjoy the freedom that his crew had.   
“I need him back and he needs to be back out here where he belongs.”  
Bliss didn’t know quite what to say the whole thing was ridiculous and yet there was still the undeniable fact that she had participated in a prison break after already being charged. She couldn’t go home and now it seemed that the man she loved had been lying to her the whole time. Gerard let go off Pixie and stood, his arm going around Bliss’s shoulder as he walked with her to the windows at the front of the bridge. The stars were shimmering and moving around them now as the ship sped deeper and deeper into space. It was astounding and Bliss found that she was listening to him more carefully, Zacky coming to stand with them too.  
“The Federation keeps you docile with the use of force. You have now had a taste of it.”  
“Was Pixie the one that got me drunk?”  
Gee noted the bitterness in her voice and looked back to where Pixie was back in Syn’s arms. He wouldn’t have put it past his favourite pilot to do just that but it hardly mattered. They were now behind schedule with a nasty cargo and he wanted it gone before he turned his attention back to getting his former lover back on the crew and his ultimate plan in motion.  
“No idea. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you join us, Zacky will show you the ropes and then Frank will come back to us both. You get him and the freedom to take whatever the universe has to offer.”  
Bliss knew she had very little choice and nodded, somehow comforted by the fact that she would be with the one person who seemed to be looking at her with kind eyes. She sent a venomous glare at Pixie, now fully believing she had been set up and then followed Zacky off the bridge. She was silent and thinking as he showed her around the lower decks. There was a huge greenhouse and food production deck, crew quarters and recreation areas along with a long set of rooms with locked storage bins. Zacky leant back and watched the girl, he could see she was struggling and tried to look a little encouraging.  
“I know this is a big shock….”  
“You could say that. Were you in on it too ?”  
He shook his head and saw her relax a little.  
“We joined forces with Gee, Mikey and Ray just after Frank left. Although that was down to Pixie seducing Syn on a bar so…”  
He winked and Bliss couldn’t help but laugh, the tension between them broken a little and she watched as he pulled up a monitor and logged in. The sounds of locks triggering made her look around the room and Zacky opened the closest one, pulling out a sleek looking rifle from its protective foam.  
“We run a lot of guns, I need you to help me keep inventory and if you want, I can teach you to shoot.”  
She looked nervous as he put the weapon into her hands. It was heavy and although he assured her it wasn’t loaded, Bliss had no doubt that it could take someone’s head off. He helped her pull it up to her shoulder and aim down the sights, a strong set of tattooed arms around her made Bliss nervous for more than one reason and she remembered that Gerard had said that he and Frank and been lovers.  
“Can I shoot Pixie with this ?”  
Zacky chuckled, she wasn’t the first person to have that reaction.  
“Don’t be too hard on her, she’s been Gee and Mikey’s plaything since they were kids.”  
“I thought she was with Syn.”  
Zacky shrugged, he had forgotten that most people didn’t really operate the way they did when it came down to relationships. When you spent so much time in space the normal rules soon ceased to apply and he saw his shipmates as lovers, siblings, friends….everything. They relied on each other despite all the bickering and fighting which was mainly down to the Captain being able to be a psycho bastard when he needed to be. Which was fairly often.  
“She is and so am I at times. We are out here for months at a time and it gets lonely. If someone asks and you want to then go be with them. Nobody here takes any notice.”  
Bliss didn’t know quite what to say, nothing in her life on Mimas had prepared her for any of this and now she felt a little homesick and unsure. His company and good humour had started to help and they spent a couple of hours together before Pixie put her head around the door. She still looked a little nervous but was pleased to see that Bliss was smiling.  
“Grub is up and Jimmy has actually made something edible.”  
Her head disappeared again and Zacky took Bliss’s hand as they all headed down to the big mess area. The captain was in a better mood now they were underway and had Pixie between him and Syn, the two men content to pet her as Jimmy ladled out huge plates of delicious smelling stew. Bliss realised now that she was terribly hungry and accepted a plate from Johnny as they all sat down to eat. Mikey smiled at the girl, she seemed to be dealing with the situation and it interested him as Matt grabbed another piece of bread.  
“So where are we going exactly Gee and what have we got in the hold ?”  
“We are going to Ganymeade and we are carrying enough plutonium to blow up this end of the universe.”


	4. The Lure

The first two weeks out were indeed quiet.  
Bliss found she liked the ship and most of its crew, she had seen an asteroid belt, a particle storm and even had a ride behind Syn in one of the fighters. There had been planets and stars, hours of blanketing darkness and then a myriad of colours and sights. What freetime she had was spent watching it all from the observation deck in the greenhouse, sometimes Zacky would join her up there and point out different systems and stars. It was also how Bliss found out more about her new friends and the relationships to Frank.  
That was the part that remained hard for her to take in. It seemed that Frank had been a feared man, a dedicated pirate in fact. Gerard had told her of bar fights and robberies, all of them with a smile and such a fond tone of voice that she had almost believed it was all true. She still found the captain something of an enigma but Pixie said that was normal, most people did. Bliss had come to love the sassy blond though, there was something comforting in the way he made sure the ship and its crew remained alive.  
His brother was more hard to tag, Mikey remained aloof for the most part and said little although when he did speak it was usually something worth hearing. He was the ships medical officer, the dangerous cargo below meant that he had insisted they all wear dosimeters to check for rads although when Bliss had inquired what to do if it changed colour the answer had not been comforting.  
“Pray you don’t grow a tail overnight…”  
“What??”  
Mikey had shrugged, still poker faced until Gerard had shouted that he was only kidding.  
“We’ll give you some meds so you won’t get a tail. Just….die.”  
Bliss had looked appalled, Syn had got hiccups from laughing and it was left to Zacky to point out that they were all just being assholes. Of course Bliss and come to love and trust Zacky more than any of them. He was like Frank in more than just looks, the calmness and humour were the same and he had taken time to help her adjust to all the changes in her life. She now wore leather and punk colours, a lot of it borrowed from Pixie until they could dock and shop. Her hair was now a deep blue mixed with a unicorn array of pastel highlights which she knew would make her almost unrecognisable. That had been Pixie’s doing too and although Bliss still had a little anger in her about the kidnapping part the two women remained best friends.  
“I like the rainbow you.”  
Bliss giggled, following Pixie as they humped boxes into the main kitchen area.  
“Its different. I look so different.”  
“You are different. You’re bossing Gerard around like you were born to it.”  
Bliss giggled, she knew Pixie sometimes tired of being petted by the Captain.  
“I still don’t get how you’re sleeping with him and his brother….”  
“And Gates. Space is boring.”  
Now Bliss did shake her head, looking towards the porthole.  
“Space could never be boring.”  
Pixie smiled to herself and wondered if she would still think that in a year.  
“Come on, I thought we might get at least one fight in on the way to Ganymede.”  
The other woman put the box on the side and started unloading the beer.  
“I don’t want to see you two have to fight out there.”  
“We’re good at what we do. Sometimes you have to fight.”  
There was a pause, both of them thinking on that as crates and tins were stowed away and they set to sorting out the inevitable mess from Jimmy trying to cook. Both had persuaded him to let them handle the food and everyone had grudgingly agreed that they were eating better and Gerard said cheaper. That had earned him a tickle which had nearly turned into fucking in the pilots seat until Mikey had removed Pixie and Matt had called up from the engine room to tell them all a stabiliser was out. Bliss wasn’t sure what that meant but Zack had said the money from this run would let them get the ship repaired.  
“You don’t want trouble though Pixie, not really when the cargo is dangerous.”  
Pixie shook her head with a smile, the girl was catching on.  
“Nope cos any holes near the cargo and we’re in trouble. I don’t think federation ships will bother us on this trip, its just the other crews we should watch for.”  
Bliss nodded, Zacky had said the same.  
“Other pirates?”  
“Yep, valuable cargo means your name tends to get passed around. Probably why the little diversion picking you up did the cap a favour.”  
Bliss bristled a little, that was still a sore subject but Pixie wouldn’t be drawn saying only that when Gerard and Mikey really wanted something there was no getting around it. She had explained to Bliss more about their childhoods and how it had been Frank that had suggested space to them all at the beginning. Her errant lover had been a crazy man in his youth by all accounts and it amazed Bliss to think that her cheeky boy was hiding such a huge secret. It was clear that Pixie had missed him though and a nagging thought entered her head.  
“Did you and Frank ever….y’know….”  
Pixie blushed.  
“Why do you ask? You see how things work around here.”  
“I just wondered….”  
Pixie giggled, winking at Bliss.  
“A few times but he was always more interested in Gerard. Don’t let it bother you, was a long time ago. Besides aren’t you and Zack fucking yet?”  
Now it was Bliss’s turn to blush.  
“No! I feel like I need to clear things up with Frank first.”  
“But you wanna….”  
“I guess so, just feels kind of strange.”  
Pixie nodded, the weird state of relationships on the ship could get bloody confusing and she wondered if Zacky would make a move before Frank came in all guns blazing. She wondered if Frank had ever lost his temper like he had on the ship. She also wondered if Bliss was aware that her man was a practised killer.  
“We’re a strange lot so don’t worry about it.”  
Bliss nodded and smiled, somehow it almost made sense.  
The door was flung open, Arin appeared and then almost stumbled as the excitement in his voice nearly caused him to tip into the room.   
“You’re both needed up on deck.”  
He disappeared again in a flurry of black and curls as the girls stared at each other. Pixie shrugged and put down the box she was holding before passing Bliss a beer. They followed Arin at a more sedate pace seeing as getting to the bridge involved two lifts and three flights of stairs. It became clear what was going on as voices arguing filtered down the last corridor. Bliss felt her heart jump as she recognised the voice currently screaming at the Captain.  
“You’ve pulled some shit Gee but this is fucking LOW! How could you!! I’ve been worried fucking sick and then I hear jailbreak and I KNOW who it fucking is!”  
“Calm down, she’s fine…”  
“NOT THE FUCKING POINT!!”  
“Frank. You know I need you here and this was the best way to do it.”  
Bliss winced as a stream of expletives got louder as Pixie opened the door. She stared at the huge screen, it was so good to see Frank again despite the rage on his face and the unkempt appearance. Clearly he had been going mad looking for her and she knew she still loved him despite the lies. Gerard merely looked a little bored, smiling as he saw the two women appear.  
“You can ask Bliss yourself, she really is fine.”  
Frank stared at her, relief on his face as his voice cracked.  
“Bliss….love the hair.”  
She giggled, running her fingers through it before staring back at him.  
“Hi Frank, he’s right I’m fine but you lied to me.”  
“It was my past. I wanted us to be safe.”  
Bliss found her temper rising and glanced back at where her new friends were watching the conversation closely.  
“Safe? Being kidnapped wasn’t safe Frank, it really wasn’t. You should have told me.”  
“I know, I know. Im sorry. Look, I’ll get them to drop you off and we can work something out.”  
Bliss glared and straightened her shoulders.  
“No.”  
Frank looked a little surprised, his hand running nervously through his hair.  
“NO?”  
“No. You’re going to come back to the ship.”  
Gerard started to giggle, the horror going across Frank’s face was adorable and his little plan was working out just fine. Space travel tended to have that effect on people who had never left their own planets and he could see that the girl was enjoying being free. Besides he also knew that the Federation would never let her have her old life back and could see that she had worked it out too.  
“Bliss, no. You don’t understand what its like out there.”  
Bliss could see the pain flashing across his eyes and almost wanted to go home. That dream was gone, prison had taught her that and she had decided that Gerard had made it the only way that she could have Frank in her life. That he was stubborn was just an obstacle.  
“I can’t come home and you know it.”  
“I know….damn you Gee.”  
Gerard merely smirked, Frank forced into smiling as he patted Bliss on the ass. In truth he had missed Gerard and Mikey as much as they had missed him and allowed the thought of all of them together to cross his mind. Pixie linked her arm in Mikey’s, the younger Way now wearing the rare smile that all of them loved.  
“Where do you want us to pick you up?”


	5. Frank

In truth Ganymede was a dump.  
Bliss had imagined it to be much like Mimas, all smart and clean streets with shops and boutiques and hotels. This was more like a decayed version, the space port where the shuttle down from The Liberator had docked was all plastic and peeling paint. The staff looked bored, hardly checking the false documents that Gerard waved in their faces before pushing them through and into a huge bustling hall.  
It also looked unloved and was full of people talking and shouting over one another. It seemed deals and permits could be traded for just about anything and Bliss realised that she had never seen a place that had so few federation officers. She counted only three and none of them seemed all that bothered about enforcing the strict search protocols that Mimas seemed to so love. The people around her were exotic and loud, none of the civility that Bliss had been used to and she found herself reaching for Zacky’s hand as Gee led them over to one side.   
“Right, fake Id for everyone and here’s the plan. Mikes and Pixie will go find Frankie while we go and sort out getting the ship unloaded. Matt, you go handle the payment with Zacky. Ray and Arin will unload when you give us the signal.”  
Bliss stared down at the ID card with her picture on it but a fake name.  
“This will work?”  
The redheaded captain just grinned and grabbed her arm steering her away as the others followed leaving Mikey and Pixie to head off in the other direction. To them it felt like home and Mikey loved it, waving to a couple of old friends as they headed deep into the crowds. He was happy to leave the work side of things to Gee, the plan to get Frank back on board had taken him considerable time and effort and he was looking forward to seeing it all pay off. His hand lingered on the back of Pixie’s neck, the melodic voice making her smile.  
“I’m surprised Frank could get all the way out here.”  
Pixie wasn’t, she remembered just how ruthless and smart Frank could be.  
“He’s probably had an escape route since the beginning. He learnt from you and Gee.”  
“Good point….”  
Mikey slung his arm around Pixie properly and they cut down a narrow back alley and into another set of squares. Ganymede was lawless to an extent, the federation didn’t care to extend their reach too far out and in truth, didn’t want the pirates to turn on them and come for the wealthier planets nearer the centre of their power. It meant that a whole second black market operated under the control of the free peoples of various planets and gave lucrative trade to the likes of Mikey and his brother.  
“He was really pissed, you got a gun on you?”  
Mikey opened his jacket, the loaded gun visible under his arm. Pixie nodded, loving that he didn’t seem in the slightest bit concerned about Frank’s temper. Her mind was carried back to when they were kids and she had watched the three men rise from being street punks to feared men, men that had killed and would probably kill again. She had only seen Mikey and Frank come to blows once and Gerard had broken it up before a victor had become clear.  
“He’s fine, he will have to come back if he wants his woman.”  
“Bliss seems to be happy out here. Not sure that will continue when she knows the truth about Frank.”  
Mikey giggled, the sound lost as they wandered into another crowd.  
“Not least when she finds out she’s been cosying up to his twin brother.”  
“I really thought Zacky would have confessed.”  
The tall young man said nothing, he had actually threatened Zacky with something very painful if he divulged that particular piece of information. As it happened it hadn’t been needed, Zacky wanted the girl for himself, the loving rivalry between himself and Frank had always had a slightly nasty edge to it. Mikey privately thought that Bliss would enjoy being between those two soon enough whether she liked it initially or not. Pixie pointed to a low building at the end of the row.  
“Cats Cradle. Didn’t we get into a fight here once before?”  
“No, you and Syn tried to fuck on the bar last time we were here.”  
She kissed him hard, pulling Mikey along a little faster until they reached the door. It was the typical space bar, dark and dingy with a smell of stale beer and outdated spirits. Both of them loved it, even more so when they spotted the man sitting at a table in the back. His normally charming face was currently wearing an expression of semi murderous rage which didn’t change as Pixie ordered the drink and Mikey sat opposite him.  
“Hi Frank.”  
Frank studied the younger Way, his hair was now back to black rather than the dyed dirty blonde it had been when Frank had chosen Bliss over his friends. He had never regretted that decision, he had liked having a normal life even with the precautions he had been forced into taking. Preserving anonymity in the heart of the federation was not easy and but he had never taken a step wrong, only in not thinking that Gerard would try and get to him via the woman he loved. That he was here at all was a testament to that love and he intended to bargain a way out for them both no matter what. Bliss might think space was great right now until the dying started…  
“Mikey. Where’s Bliss?”  
“With Gerard. We have a very valuable cargo to sell here and it will pay for repairs and upgrades to the ship. My brother’s got big plans Frankie, it can be like we always wanted it.”  
Frank shook his head, a rueful smile now appearing.  
“Still aiming for the skies then.”  
Mikey returned the smile as Pixie appeared, she put down the drinks as Frank embraced her. She loved the feeling of his arms around her after so long and kissed him hard, seeing that despite himself Frank was starting to relax. He raised a toast to them both and then settled back, the coldness reappearing on his face.  
“Taking Bliss from me was wrong.”  
“It was but it was necessary.”  
Pixie tensed, the two men were staring at each other, neither willing to back down.  
“I’m not coming back Mikes. I want Bliss and then I’m going.”  
Mikey shrugged, downing his drink.  
“And where will you go? She’s too green to hide in plain sight like you do. She will trip you both up and you know it. Better to stay with us, teach Bliss how it works. Then I’m sure if you want to leave you can work it out with Gee.”  
Frank flinched at the nickname, his voice softening.  
“How is he?”  
“He’s good. He misses you more than even Pixie and I do.”  
Frank sighed, he had to admit that seeing them again was intoxicating. Pixie hadn’t changed, the tight leather still as enticing and the way that Mikey just held her with all the ownership made him remember the good old days.  
“I’ve missed you all too. How’s my brother?”  
Pixie giggled, her hand snaking over to his.  
“Zacky and Syn are fine. So is Ray and Matt…even Johnny misses you and you will love Arin. Come home Frankie, Bliss wants to see the universe and you can show it to her.”  
He still looked troubled, the past was painful in places and it was those that had kept him awake and stopped him from embracing this life again. He had seen both of the people in front of him hurt badly at various times, he had seen crewmates die and been able to do nothing. The thought of Bliss trapped and dying had begun to haunt his sleep.  
“I can’t….I can’t do all that again.”  
Mikey got up and headed for the bar, he knew it would be Pixie that would make Frank come back and ordered another round. He kept a wary eye on the bar too, there were plenty of people who had enmity with The Liberator and her crew so you had to watch your back. A quick check on his comms revealed that the shipment was being unloaded and the money was in the bank. It would be a short trip over to get the ship repaired and then they were ready to move out.  
Pixie sidled up to Frank, gently turning his face.  
“Baby, you have to come back. They need you, I need you. Rotting away on a civilian planet will kill you in the end.”  
“Is Bliss really ok with all of this?”  
The girl smirked, Frank forced into wrapping a hand around her throat just out of habit.  
“I know you had a hand in it.”  
“I do what Gee wants, like you used to. Yes, she really is ok with this. In fact, she’s bossing him around….”  
Frank giggled, somehow the image of Bliss sorting Gee out was hilarious.  
“Unusual experience for him then.”  
Pixie just smiled, leaning against him and running one hand up his thigh.  
“Very. She’s a lovely girl though and quite pining for you despite Zacky’s best efforts.”  
“Might have known he would try that on, does she know he’s my twin?”  
Pixie shook her head.  
“You never used to mind sharing.”  
There was a a pause before Frank closed his eyes, he knew there would be no going back if he gave voice to the thought going through his head. He loved sharing girls with Zack, loved sharing the Way boys with Pixie and to have Bliss want that too….  
“I still don’t. I just don’t think this is a good idea.”  
Another vodka appeared in front of him as Mikey sat down, pulling Pixie back to him.  
“One trip. Gerard said if you still wanna leave after that then fine.”  
Frank swirled the drink around.”  
“One trip. Then I’m out.”  
Mikey grinned triumphantly and pulled out his comms. Gerard had played this well, the one trip would turn into more and he thought that maybe even Frank knew that. He quickly sent his brother a message and then raised a toast.  
“To us. We just got paid and now we have a full crew.”  
Pixie kissed Frank again and then leant into Mikey, invitation clear in his eyes.  
“Let’s go find the others and have some fun.”


	6. Payday

Bliss shuffled nervously.  
It had been a terrifying hour watching Gerard order around several enormous men to unload the cargo before they had joined the others collecting the money. The buyer was just about the hugest and ugliest man she had ever seen, a huge man who towered over the slightly built Gerard but had none of the intelligence. He had leered at Bliss until Zacky had pushed her behind him with a growl, all of the men with hands on their guns.  
He had tried to haggle on the price of course and she had sneaked a peak from behind Zack as Gerard had simply grinned and put his feet up on the other man’s desk.  
“Don’t insult me.”  
The customer, whose name was Burke, glared. He had heard stories about these punks and dismissed them all even more so when he had seen the almost feminine young man who was now in front of him. Gerard had purposely left Matt outside, the sight of the big man tended to up the tension and he knew that he didn’t need force to get what he wanted.  
“You’re late.”  
“We had some crew difficulties. It’s a hundred grand as agreed or we move on.”  
Burke stared, his eyes again drawn to the girl with rainbow hair who looked terrified.  
“Sure, if you give me the bitch too.”  
The smile fell from Gerard’s face and just for a second Burke felt fear.  
“Now you have insulted me. Price just went up.”  
The two employees had orders from the fat man to defend him and Bliss squeaked at the whine of lasers being charged. Burke leaned forward, not seeing Matt appear at the door with both Johnny and the last member of the team. They had made sure Jimmy had all the dirt on this bum before heading out on this trip, their weapons tech was as good a spy as any the federation had on their books and it tended to prove very useful.  
“Seventy and the girl or you ain’t leaving here.”  
Gerard put out his hand, the file placed in it by Jimmy was thick but not everything.  
“Now Mr Burke. Don’t be rash. We have been watching your operation and its slick but not slick enough. Jimmy here has your finances on his tracker there and you try and insult me again and all of it goes to the federation.”  
Jimmy flashed the small hand held computer with a grin.  
“I hear they love tax dodgers.”  
“They certainly do James….”  
Burke glanced up at Matt, the big man had a gatling laser idling and he knew he was beaten. The pout made him look like a child as he made the credit transfer without another word. Guns fell and Bliss was slightly bewildered at the smiles and handshakes that followed. It was bizarre to go from the threat of death to joviality within seconds. Zacky grinned at her expression and shrugged, holding her hand again as they went back outside.  
“You okay?”  
“I thought we were going to die….”  
Matt and Jimmy bowled past, grabbing her hand from Zacky’s and sweeping her along so that she had to run to keep up. Gerard was ambling along behind them on his phone which he passed to Zacky and she missed the conversation as the two tall men were intent on explaining how smuggling works.  
“That was normal enough negotiation. Client takes the piss, we threaten them and then they pay. Wouldn’t be fun without the middle bit.”  
Bliss giggled, it was impossible not to be happy around Jimmy.  
“Where are we going now?”  
Gerard came up beside them, a killer smile in place.  
“We’re going to meet your lover and mine.”  
The girl stopped dead.  
“They found Frank?”  
“Found and persuaded him to come with us.”  
Bliss found she was blushing and somehow nervous. She had felt almost guilty about the whole chain of events even if it had been Pixie who had made sure she wound up in prison. Maybe going out that night had been a mistake, maybe staying home would have meant that their cosy life in Mimas continued. Yet….she looked around at all the free people and then down to where the chip had used to be and considered that the federation itself was wrong. Bliss had been a prisoner all her life and just not realised it.  
“So we are staying on board?”  
Gerard loved the excitement in her voice and leant in, brushing his lips against hers.  
“Yes. You’re family now and we have him home Bliss.”  
She blushed, not quite knowing how to react to the kiss.  
“I am….happy.”  
“That’s what being a pirate does.”  
Gerard pushed open the door to the bar and felt his heart soar. Mikey had been plying Frank with drink and now both of them were arm wrestling across the table. Pixie was sitting cross legged on the bar, Syn by her side as they discussed who would win. Jimmy whooped and scooped his friend up, planting a kiss on Syn’s cheek as he protested. Johnny and Matt glanced around and the place started to empty, the bar keep knowing not to complain and that any lack of business would be made up by the Liberator’s crew. People filed out, Frank finally looking up and seeing his Bliss causing him to stand and sweep her into his arms.   
“You’re safe?”  
Bliss couldn’t speak as he kissed her hard, the noise of the crew pulling tables around lost in both surprise at the way Frank was now dressed like the crew and the warmth of his embrace. She had missed him despite getting close to Zacky and now couldn’t believe that they would see the universe together.  
“I’m fine. You should have told me but think of it, its so exciting.”  
“One trip baby, for you.”  
She hugged him tightly, sure that he could be persuaded to let them stay permanently.  
“Hi Frank.”  
Zacky grinned, catching the wink from his twin as Bliss pulled back.  
“You know each other?”  
There was a pause, all of the crew watching with some amusement as Bliss finally got to see the two men side by side. She frowned, they were much more alike than she had thought and recognised the guilty smile on Frank’s face as he sighed and embraced Zacky.  
“Now don’t get mad….”  
Pixie giggled, hiding her face in Gerard’s chest as Bliss glared at Frank.  
“About what??”  
“Well….Zack is my twin brother.”  
His face was ringing from the slap Bliss landed, Zacky laughing helplessly until she belted him too. Gerard was in tears, even Mikey unable to stop laughing as Syn applauded and the others hastily separated the angry girl from the two men. Zacky rubbed his cheek, his arm over Frank’s shoulder.  
“We should have told you but…”  
Bliss tried not to grin as both dropped their lips and looked adorable. It was impossible to be angry and she now let her mind wander to the question that had been bugging her for a while. The thought of being between them, used by both of them in the way that Pixie had told her she was used by the way boys. It had shocked her but she now wondered whether Frank would go for it. Pixie had slunk up to her and mock pouted at Frank and Zacky.  
“You’ve been very bad boys.”  
Syn choked on his beer, passing bottles to his two friends.  
“Bliss’s forgiven them if I know that look.”  
He winked at her and Bliss blushed, happy to be hugged again by Frank and they sat down, Frank and Gerard embracing tighter than he had even hugged Bliss. She snuggled between them, liking that Gee stroked her arm and wondering for the first time whether this would lead to something. It seemed crazy that she had gone from monogamy to wanting them all, yet she only had to look across to see Pixie cradled between Syn and Mikey to know that she wanted it.  
“Are we upgrading here or moving on?”  
Gerard pulled himself away from Frank and smiled at Matt.  
“We need to get to Titan. There is something there I need to pick up and then I can let you in on the big picture.”  
“Fuck yeah and the women there are sweet.”  
Johnny cheered, the single contingent on the ship enjoyed Titan a lot.  
“We can upgrade and then go for the next job.”  
Frank sipped his beer.  
“What’s the big picture?”  
Gerard tried not to wince, he didn’t want to piss Frank off when things were going so well.  
“My dear Frank, I could not possibly spoil that surprise.”  
Pixie smiled, Gerard on a high was too much fun.  
“That will bring the federation down on us, whatever the fuck it is.  
“Probably.”  
Frank giggled and let himself rest back against the bar seat. It was good he had to admit, the idea of flying again and now that he had his friends back the small vacation into normal life was looking a lot less attractive. Bliss seemed relaxed, not angry anymore about his deception and even now she was smiling seductively at him while leaning back against Zacky. He couldn’t get the thought out of his head that he was being set up…..


	7. The Plan

A dive bar in Titan.  
Not exactly a hotspot of the universe, not the most glamorous of places considering the many other star systems and constellations one could visit. Yet it was thriving, a hub for interstellar travel that was both sanctioned and unsanctioned with freighter crews rubbing shoulders with mercs, pirates with Colonial Troops. A true melting pot and a place where the smart could get rich very, very quickly or die even faster.   
Which was the reason for the meeting being held upstairs in a bar on the fourth precinct. Matt was unable to keep the smirk from his face at the sheer delight dancing over Gerard’s features and motioned with the latest loaded shot glass.  
“So c’mon Gee, spill it about this new job.”  
Gerard answered the question with a toast.  
“Finally and after much risk, I have new ship that’s for us at a reasonable price plus spares for the old one. Hyperion engines, much larger hold and and two upgraded fighters. Good weapons rack. By the time Mikes finishes kitting her out we are going to be able to fly just about anywhere.”  
Mikey nodded sagely.  
“Its gonna blow shit out of the fuckin’ sky.”  
Matt chinked his glass against Gee’s and considered the brothers. Now they had a decent ship and a spare it would be much more fun and a lot more lucrative. Mikey had been the one to point Gee at a man desperate enough to sell a really good ship, keeping his ear to the ground was proving to be a good idea.  
Gee grinned and motioned over to the opposite sofa.  
“Ask the twins, you know they know a damn fine ship when they see it and see it soon they will.”  
Zacky and Frank looked up at exactly the same moment in the weird twin telepathy thing that still freaked out their friends. It was what had introduced all the men in the first place, the boys finding each other while on separate sides of the galaxy and over the years all of them had become close, making money and dodging the law in the ever present danger of smuggling until Frank had left and they had joined forces properly.  
“It’s a fine ship if it can take on the Liberator. Do we need more crew?”  
Zacky pointed to his friends.  
“Depends on the systems, we can check it out.”  
Gee nodded, it had occurred to him. There would be time to discuss that but he had bigger things to discuss and he leant forward. All of his best friends were here, his lovers and everyone he cared about and now they all looked at him expectantly.  
“You remember Elysium? I took a gamble with some stocks and we are sitting on close to a million credits. I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure I could do it but…well, this is our chance.”  
Matt’s jaw dropped. Syn looked both incredulous and a little sick as Mikey broke into one of his rare smiles.  
“With that kind of money we can make Elysium into the planet port we always wanted. Then we can operate independently and with these two ships…well, we can be the most efficient and feared smugglers this side of the Magna Rift.”  
Matt raised his glass.  
“You’re a brave man, so what’s the set up?”  
Johnny grinned, seeing the ripple of excitement go around the room. All of them were adrenaline junkies and it had been months since they had been to the little planet called Elysium on the edge of the Diamond Falls. It was a jungle moon, a resort that had ceased to be when the Falls had unexpectedly swallowed its mother planet and made it worthless. The facilities included an underground hotel and space port with freight areas and all of it unused and in bad need of restoration. Jimmy had won it in a bet with the idea to make it into a base for them all. A pipe dream until now.  
“We need to get out there and make an assessment. See what we need to buy.”  
Frank shook his head, clearly the plan had been to pull him back out and never let him leave. As much as this was fun, it had certainly been fun with Bliss and Zack the night before, it would end bad. He was curious however as Gerard explained to them both how they had come upon the moon and how this would be the perfect thing for everyone. Frank and Bliss could man the base if they want, leave the danger to the others….not like that was likely to happen.   
“I said one trip….”  
“I know but c’mon. Its perfection.”  
Gee leaned back, his arm around Pixie.  
“At least come and take a look.”  
Bliss nudged Frank in the ribs.  
“We can’t go home so we make a new one.”  
Frank knew he had lost, a smile breaking out on his face.   
“Fine. You win.”  
Mikey poured everyone another glass of vodka.  
“We always win.”  
There was a rush of excitement as they left the grim little pub and headed down towards the spaceport. The new ship was as stunning as Gerard had said and mostly systems run so splitting the crews to get it out to Elysium along with the Liberator wouldn’t be a problem. There had been many arguments about the name for the new ship and no resolution when they split up. Frank walked alongside Gerard, his hand in Bliss’s just enjoying being back in her company as Mikey expanded on what they would need to get things up and running. Pixie had skipped ahead with Ray, both of them intent on stocking up with narcotics, food and whiskey to take with them.   
“If the new world is shit, we need necessities.”  
Ray nodded, jamming a lollipop in his mouth and passing Pixie one.  
“You think this thing with Frank will last?”  
“Actually I do. He would have wanted out of that life soon or later.”  
Ray’s fro shook as he laughed, the thought of Frank in a day job was just weird.  
“Man, imagine having to behave.”  
Pixie shuddered.  
“Fuck that shit, anyway seeing as Bliss fucked them both last night I’d say Frankie boy no longer has a choice.”  
Ray choked on the lollipop, the man behind the counter grinning at them both.  
“She did?”  
“Oh yeah baby….”  
Pixie winked at the shopkeeper and paid him, the transfer of the cargo wouldn’t take long and would never show on Federation approved books at all. Recreational or not, that amount of contraband would quickly get you shot. They trailed out of the shop and caught sight of Mikey in the distance. Pixie kissed Ray, her smile lighting up.  
“We can have a whole planet just to fuck on.”  
“Do you think of anything else?”  
“Fuck no….”


	8. New Home

It never stopped raining on Elysium.  
The whole surface of the planet was a mass of forests and mud, swamps and rotting vegetation. The little hotel complex had left hardly a mark on the surface, the buildings up there had long since rotted away and the hatches that led down to the spaceport decks were covered in roots and the remains of trees. Matt had left Johnny with the ship in orbit and brought the rest of his crew down to recon and see what needed to be done before they could safely land beneath the surface.  
He wiped sweat and rain from his face before barking into the intercom in his suit.  
“Gates, what do you think?”  
The returning answer was tinny with static but cheery.  
“Its not that bad down here, just damp. Jimmy is working the relays to get power. If we can clear the hatches and move some shit around there is nothing to stop us getting both ships under cover fairly quickly.”  
Matt grinned, sending a thumbs up to Zack and Arin who stood ready with the hatchets. It took more than an hour to clear one of the doors, the hum and rhythm of power from below egging them on as Jimmy came up to replace Arin. It would need the system guy to route all the available power to the old systems. Matt knew they would all need upgrading eventually and had already been looking into just how much that would cost. He had been banking on Gee getting lucrative contracts on top of his winnings.   
“How’s the other hatch?”  
Jimmy wiped his face and shook his head.  
“Being a bitch, think the gears are fucked. Anything from Gee?”  
“No but Mikey said they were near a planet with a decent supply chain so I asked him to get the parts you listed.”  
Jimmy nodded again, accepting a bottle of water from Zacky. The shorter man was holding a wrench and some rusted bolts in his gloved hand. He grinned cheerily, loving the place already despite the rain.  
“Think I fixed it. Get Arin to try the hatch now.”  
Matt grinned, radioing the kid and pushing Syn and Jimmy off the hatch as Zacky continued to cut back the last tree roots with his axe. There was a pause, the groaning of motors and cogs fought again the sounds of the ever falling rain. Then a screech the huge hatch began to move, slowly a first as stale air burst up from below. The cavern beneath was a huge, built to take a starliner of several thousand and so fitting the two smugglers ships would be easy and leave more than enough room to work.  
“Johnny?”  
“Hey man, how’s it looking?”  
Matt glanced around, all of them looked exhausted and darkness was edging in but they had done better than he had been expecting. To get the ship below and hidden within a day was way faster than schedule and he felt it was a good sign.  
“Hatch is open. Bring her in gently Johnny, not sure how good the slide is down below.”  
“Got it.”  
The rest of the men gathered up the tools and headed down a narrow stairwell. It was a relief to bolt the hatch on the appalling weather outside and already the place was humming with lights and the sounds of the approaching ship. Jimmy and Zack peeled off to go check out the heating and air systems as Syn followed Matt to the viewing gallery to watch Johnny bring the ship in. Matt drew in a breath, he knew his friend didn’t want to talk about it but Matt had to broach the elephant in the room.  
“So… what do you think?”  
Syn wiped his hair back, the half Mohican dripping water down his cheekbones. He knew Matt was concerned and fought it in himself. Syn had always hated to be enclosed and he had never really wanted to go along with the Elysium thing in the first place. He had also had a major fight with Pixie and was working up to an apology.  
“It might work out. I don’t know.”  
Matt sighed, leaning against the dirty plexiglass to try and get a view of the ship coming down.  
“Give it a fair shot. We just got the family back together.”  
Syn just shrugged, the volume in the viewing area going up as the huge ship gently positioned itself above. Matt was glad they had a good pilot, Johnny was the master at getting the huge vessel in and out of tight spots and this was a walk in the park. The ship glided into view and touched down. Syn didn’t say anything else, just walked purposefully into the docking office and tried the switches.   
A shower of sparks and popping fuses confirmed what he had thought and he grinned at Matt as Johnny killed the engines. Clearly more repairs were needed but they could at least close the roof and keep the elements out.  
“Sit tight Johnny, skids are out.”  
“Typical bullshit man….”  
Syn giggled at Johnny’s remark and turned on the comms system. Now they could talk to each other all over the base and Arin was able to tell them that all the life support looked okay but needed an overhaul. They had water from the underground wells and a few serviceable beds. All of it needed work but nobody was gonna die, they had thought to bring food with them.  
“Any word from Gee?”  
Matt waited, noting that Syn still looked uncomfortable.  
“Yeah, they are on their way. Do we need anything?”  
“Tell them the skids are out so we need a repair kit. If they can bring that and orbit while we fix it then we are good.”  
The comms went off and Matt turned back to his buddy.  
“Game on.”


	9. Revenge

The next month or so was spent on repairs and upgrades.   
There was a peaceful lull in the group, the various supply missions and works meaning everyone tended to move around in groups and getting to know each other again was easier. The vast hangers were soon greased and running, both ships safely housed in the depths of the moon as the crews worked to update both systems and hardware. It turned out the place was state of the art, all the more odd that it had been abandoned but Johnny and Mikey soon had the anti grav working so the ships floated on their moorings and making moving around easier.   
Matt had found two small shuttles and now they were able to ferry between the planets nearby without causing attention to come their way and making supply runs easier. Soon the living quarters were furnished, the kitchen stocked and some reasonable defences that cloaked the landing area. Gerard had managed to talk Bliss through the software and into helping him install it, slowly a gradual thaw between Frank and their erstwhile friends made the situation a little less tense.  
That process was helped when Bliss disappeared with Pixie and one of the shuttles, for hours there was uproar as the men tried to figure out if they had been dumped. When the girls returned it was with alcohol and an old friend that Pixie knew had been looking for an out.  
“So let me get this straight, you want me to run this little moon of yours while you pirate your way across several galaxies and make us a fortune?”  
Della smirked as Pixie pointed at Matt.  
“Ask him, we just work here.”  
Matt blushed, he had known Della for a long time and had fancied her almost that whole time. Pixie knew this and also knew that they needed someone capable to keep an eye on things at home, there was no better security specialist than her old friend. Della had been bored and liked Matt, the money had been only part of the lure. Now they all lounged around the big common room, a fire roaring in the grate and a storm whipping up the planet above. All they could hear was the low moan of the gale and it somehow added to the cosiness. Bliss was seated between the twins, Pixie lounged out near Gates half asleep, the fight and his stubbornness meant she was pissed at him, the atmosphere a little frosty.  
“Equal shares Della, we’re gonna upgrade the security here but we need someone to watch our backs.”  
“Its gonna make us rich.”  
Gates grinned, several beer bottles raised in salute at his comment.  
“Okay, I’m in.”  
Della giggled as a cheer went up and Zacky spread out the map of the nearest galaxy in front of them. Patrols didn’t fly near the moon they now lived on, it was far enough out but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t have trouble come knocking. All of them had records and all of them were known to other smugglers. It was a dangerous life and planning was more important than most people realised.  
Bottles were soon used as markers, Jimmy disappearing to the kitchen to add food to the mix and soon a plan was laid out. One of Gerard’s contacts had a shipment of guns they wanted moving and he had put a word in for other work. If Gee was right, both teams should hit paydirt. The hours drifted by and Gerard found himself relaxing, it was almost like old times and for the first time in this new home he started to feel like they were a team again. He glanced over, wondering why Pixie and Syn were clearly irritated and it bugged him, he loved them both but they were always a little temperamental.  
“Well this is great but I wanna get my beauty sleep.”  
Pixie let Syn pull her up and patted his shoulder before shouting a goodnight to all and heading for the door. He followed, liking the way her body moved as she walked along the corridor and into the maze of halls that lead to the suites. The former hotel was laid out nicely to give them all decent sized rooms and en-suites, the water pumped from the huge amount of rainfall outside. Pixie knew he was behind her, turning to face him as her room appeared in the distance.  
“You following me now?”  
“We should talk.”  
Syn leant against the wall, noting that she at least didn’t yell at him.  
“I didn’t get the chance to apologise and I should. I don’t like being shut in and I took it out on you. I know you get enough of that shit from the brothers and you and me is supposed to be easy.”  
Pixie blinked, stopping and turning back.   
“Thank you. It was shitty and its not like you.”  
“I know and I’m sorry.”  
Syn crossed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. For a moment Pixie hesitated, it felt good to be held and he was always so calm, she snaked her arms around his waist, her head on his chest  
“I love you Syn, never doubt that.”  
He lifted her chin, a smile crossing his face. Pixie liked looking up at him, Syn was beautiful in a dangerous way that made her wet but she wasn’t about to make it easy on him. They kissed gently before she pulled away and opened her door.  
“But I’m not about to fall into bed with you right now.”  
He winced, leaning against the wall as she smirked at him.  
“Pixie come on, we could just cuddle….”  
The door slammed shut in his face forcing a couple of arch swear words and her answering giggle as she locked it. Syn groaned, resting his head on the door and trying to ignore the fact he was hard. She did that to him like it or not and this made him just all the more determined to entice his lover back into his bed by morning.  
“She’s still pissed at you huh?”  
Syn turned, smiling as he saw Bliss behind him. Her suite was a way past Pixie’s and he tagged along, hoping he might be able to talk her into helping him with his quest. Bliss and Syn had come to get along well, both of them loving Zacky and both of them prepared to put up with some of the temper tantrums from all their crewmates. They were laid back people at heart and she passed him another beer as they walked.  
“Do you think she will forgive me?”  
Bliss nodded, she knew that Pixie would always love the man beside her, the fight had been petty and she wasn’t even that mad, just intent on teasing him a little.  
“She will, she just likes to make it hard on you and she succeeded.”  
Syn laughed as she pointed to the bulge in his jeans.  
“I know, annoying cow. You and the twins had fun last night?”  
“You know about that?”  
He smiled a little more, his arm sneaking around her shoulder.  
“Zack tells me just about everything.”  
Bliss unlocked her door, a wicked thought crossing her mind.  
“Payback is a bitch.”  
“They should have come clean earlier yeah.”  
“”It is and they aren’t the only ones who have it coming.”  
Bliss grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled a surprised Gates into her room, the door slamming behind them as she pushed him up against it. Lust had taken over and before either of them realised they were kissing hard and fast, tasting each other as he reversed their positions and pushed her hard up against the door.  
“He told me you let them do just what they want….”  
Bliss moaned, his hands now lifting her t-shirt over her head. She knew this was a bad idea and felt a momentary guilt at what she was doing but she still had issues to settle with Pixie and this was one way of getting some revenge. He was rougher than the twins, licking and biting her neck and shoulders as they struggled to free themselves from clothes and moral responsibilities. Finally he picked her up and carried her to the bed, his head full of the thought of tasting her. Zacky had told him how she loved that, how she could barely keep from screaming when he licked her and Frank used her mouth.  
“Please…Syn…”  
Bliss gulped, his hands sliding down her thighs and parting them before staring up at her.   
“You sure about this? Frank is kinda possessive over you.”  
She grabbed his hair and forced his head down, enjoying the feel of his stubble against her sensitive skin.  
“So don’t tell him….FUCK!”  
Syn growled, her back arching as he licked her from clit to ass and enjoyed running his tongue over her pussy before delving inside. Bliss couldn’t breathe, it felt amazing and he was clearly loving it, fingers digging into her ass as he nearly lifted her from the bed. She was panting hard, not wanting to give in and cum but It was so hard not to mewl and squirm, finally remembering to breathe as he kissed up her stomach and finally claimed her mouth.   
“You really are the dirty little slut Zack says then.”  
Bliss giggled at his cheeky grin, running a hand over the impressive cheekbones.  
“I wasn’t until I met you lot.”  
“You’re also using me to get back at Pixie.”  
Bliss nodded, moaning again as he pinned her arms down and roughly entered her. It was different from the twins and everything she had imagined he would be from Pixie’s stories. Syn was unable to control the lust, part of him had wanted her since she joined the crew and he liked how she writhed under him, her legs locking around his waist as he fucked her. She was more submissive than Pixie, it was less of a fight and a different feeling because of it, she didn’t protest when he turned her on her stomach and used her wetness to lube his cock and her tight ass.  
“Zack did say you like it this way.”  
Bliss choked, burying her scream into the pillow. True she did like it but Zacky was more gentle when he fucked her ass whereas Syn was intent on making it hurt and making her enjoy it. She moaned and breathed hard through the pain and the growing pleasure as he lifted her up and let her rub her clit. Both were soaked with sweat, the room almost completely in darkness bar the light under the door.   
“Fuck, please, please let me cum.”  
Syn giggled, kissing her cheek.  
“Do it baby, I want to hear it.”  
Syn kept a tight hold of her hips, riding it out as Bliss convulsed and came hard. It felt amazing and he was seeing stars, the frustration and tension of the last few weeks leaving him as he joined her in an intense orgasm. Both of them collapsed against the bed, moving around slowly to find blankets and pillows until they could rest together in each others arms and take stock.  
“Well that was fun, Unexpected but fun.”  
Bliss smiled sleepily and kissed him.  
“I think we both needed it. Maybe we should do it again some time.”  
“Maybe we should. Just…don’t tell Pixie, the bitch has a nasty temper and will know it was payback.”  
Syn was dozy, Bliss watching him drift off into sleep. She had no intention of telling Pixie until it suited her and no intention of letting the twins know either. This could be a fun diversion, fireworks and disaster for sure but for now Bliss could sleep easy.


End file.
